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ROGERS CUP

July 27, 2016

Milos Raonic

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M. RAONIC/Y. Lu

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think you did well today?
MILOS RAONIC: I kept it pretty simple. Served okay. Served a high first-serve percentage. Didn't give him any looks there. I took rhythm away from him.

You know, it's a good way to start the tournament. I look to continue hopefully playing better the next match, which I know is going to be necessary. It's a very good way to start this tournament.

Q. Your first match out here. How did it feel to sort of get your first match under your belt and also head onto the court with the home crowd behind you.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it was good. It was very positive. I did the things well from the beginning. Obviously I didn't expect to play as well as I did.

That was sort of hopeful. I knew a lot of things were going to come down to me, how I dealt with just the -- it was windy, humid. It's not the easiest conditions. So I'm happy with how I managed that, that I was efficient out there.

Q. Were you nervous at all, being in front of this hometown crowd?
MILOS RAONIC: I think just general, first round, you don't know how things are going to start out, those kind of nerves. Obviously I would like to do well here. I probably put some extra pressure on myself there. I think I got that behind me very quickly, and I played a solid match start to finish.

Q. The previous time you played Toronto, you really did seem to feel the pressure. This time you seemed to be enjoying it a lot more. What's changed?
MILOS RAONIC: Just the perspective of it. I think I practiced well last week. I struggled in a few practices as we got close to the tournament. I spoke with my team I believe yesterday morning, and the first thing that came out from Carlos, which was a very different perspective -- my perspective until now was, you know, I don't get to play here often. Every two years specifically in Toronto for this tournament. Once a year between here and Montreal and then obviously some Davis Cup ties at home. But my perspective was sort of I need to get the best out of myself.

He sort of put me in the thought process of, You don't get to do this that often. Make sure you enjoy it. I think once I used that nervous energy in the right outlet, it made it much better for me.

Q. You seemed to be kind of glowing out there. Maybe that's still from Wimbledon. Is that accurate? You still have this confidence boost. You just seem to be having a lot of fun and just in control, I guess.
MILOS RAONIC: I know what I'm trying to do. I don't know if I would necessarily say I'm overly more confident than normal because of Wimbledon. I think it's just sort of the process, the way I'm trying to go about things that we have put specific attention on over the last few weeks. I'm trying to get better and better each day. I guess that's the objective for tomorrow, as well.

Q. You're much more expressive out there now, showing emotion. It's usually the other way. Usually the younger players have difficulty controlling their emotions. It seems that it's taken you the ripening of your career to show more of yourself. Can you just explain why that's changed for you?
MILOS RAONIC: I think it's just discussions we have had. I think it's a personal maturity, as well. I think before I was under the constant belief that for me, to get the best tennis out of myself, I just had to be there stone-faced and just really go about the process and try to be as efficient as possible and go in, get it done, and leave. Whereas after discussions with Carlos, with John, with Riccardo, it's been about, you know, sometimes you let yourself get in that situation too much where you bottle up a lot of energy, so start expressing more, be more positive with it, show more intensity. In tough moments, fight fire with fire sometimes a bit more.

Q. What can you say about sharing the spotlight and the hometown court with Denis? And what can you say about his season so far this year?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, he's been doing incredible things. It's actually a pleasure to have more and more players to share with. I think this was the most players we had in the second round in a long time. It's great to see that. It's great to see it from a young group of players, as well.

Denis, I watched a few of his matches at Wimbledon. He was playing great. He played great against Nick the other night. I believe right now he's playing pretty well in his match. I have been trying to watch little by little.

But it's an exciting time for Canadian tennis. It's a big spotlight, so it's a pleasure to share.

Q. What do you think about the increased spotlight on Canada as a tennis nation? How is that affecting your play?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think it's different. When players used to come here at this tournament, it's not necessarily the best thing to say, but if you drew a Canadian you were feeling pretty good about yourself, which was unfortunate. But I think that whole stigma, that whole observation of the situation has definitely changed.

If guys started against players they were playing in the first round here, I saw Diez won, Peter won, Denis won, Vasek won, I think it was, what? Four out of five guys in the first round that won their matches, something like that? So that's a pretty amazing thing. Not that you're winning the matches but that you're changing the whole perspective of it.

So it's a good time, and it's a good time for Canadian tennis. I think it's the start of it. I think it's going to continue to get better.

Q. I had a chance to talk to you I think about six years ago. You were 450 in the world. You said that you're gonna be a top-10 player one day. You were 19 at the time. There's Denis, Felix. What are your thoughts on the young Canadian tennis players coming up?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think they are much further ahead from where I was, and they are working hard and they have earned the position they are in.

They have earned both to receive wildcards here. Obviously there was a period of time where the wildcards were just given to the guys in line. Now it's about guys actually stepping up and earning it.

These guys are much further ahead compared to where I was. I think they're doing great things. I think they are both developing, and they both have very bright futures ahead of themselves.

Maybe I like to say in a way that I give a little bit of belief that a Canadian could do it, especially on the singles side. But it's a very positive sort of ripple effect that's happened. It's an honor to see this kind of change happening.

Q. I just want to get your take on playing back-to-back evening matches. You talked about the wind and the humidity. Is there an advantage playing a little bit later to you, or would you like to play a day match earlier in the tournament?
MILOS RAONIC: I would have liked to necessarily to play a day match, but when sort of the situation was presented, it made sense to play the night match today. Tomorrow, as well. And we'll see what sort of Friday, if I can get myself to that situation, brings.

I just gotta deal with what's ahead of me and be in the moment. The other guys play in the same conditions as I.

Q. A couple of years ago you were sort of the lone figurehead for Canadian tennis. Now you're sort of more like a leader. Has that changed anything for you?
MILOS RAONIC: It's nice to see Canadians around the tournaments. That's probably the biggest change. The way I go about my process, alone or with three guys there or 50 guys, it doesn't really matter. I'm really doing every single day what I think will get the best out of myself.

And then to have familiar faces, to have that kind of connection and positive attitude that will carry here through Davis Cup weeks, as well, is definitely a big plus.

Q. You brought in a pair of former world No. 1s this year to be your coaches and probably not coincidentally. I think it's fair to say it's been the best year of your career. How much of a role have Carlos and John played in your improvement?
MILOS RAONIC: They have played a significant role. Carlos has been there with me now almost seven complete months, six-and-a-half months. He's made a very positive effect on me.

John has also made a positive effect over a shorter period of time. I think it's the way you look at where I was. I feel like maybe it would have been the time for me to have done this a little bit earlier, last year when I got up to No. 4 in the world, but obviously I didn't have that possibility considering all the injuries.

So this was the right time to make that step, to get that out of myself. It takes a personal also maturity not only what they can give you but also to take it in the right way and make the most of it and then not lose your identity at the same time.

So I'm glad to see I'm at that point and I'm just trying to take in as much as I can and make the most of it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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